Many residents of Lagos yesterday leveraged the extension of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise to get inoculated at various designated centres.
Visits to some of the Primary Health care Centres (PHCs) in Ikorodu area, showed a large turnout of health care workers, frontline workers and the elderly waiting to be vaccinated.
Some of the health facilities visited were Ita-Elewa Primary Health care Centre, Ikorodu; Ipakodo Primary Healthcare Centre, Ebute/Ipakodo; and Oke-Eletu Primary Healthcare Centre, Ijede.
The state government had announced the extension of COVID-19 vaccination for two weeks, starting from May 10 to 24, to enable more people to receive the vaccine.
The government said the vaccination would be held at designated PHC centres in 13 local government areas or local council development areas (LCDAs).
There was strict enforcement of facemask use, and residents were orderly at the visited centres.
Some of the residents told reporters that they got to the centres as early as 6:45 a.m. to enable them to receive the vaccine before the end of the first phase of the vaccination.
Dr Abdul-Rahman Adegoke said he initially delayed in taking the vaccine to observe vaccine trends globally.
“With reports of the spike in Indian COVID-19 infection and mortality figures, I feel that delay in taking the vaccine will be dangerous.
“Moreso, we do not know when Nigeria will have access to more vaccines, which will definitely be a drawback to its vaccination programme,” Adegoke said.
Also, a retiree, Mrs Abiola Onamasi, commended the state government for the extension, saying that it would help increase the number of immunised people.
“I couldn’t take the vaccine at the start of the vaccination exercise due to some medication that I was using then.
“Fortunately, the exercise has been extended, and I have the permission of my physician to take the vaccine now,” she said.
Mrs Christiana Nwabueze, a nurse, said the state government should enforce the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions of facemask, physical distancing and hand hygiene in public places.
Nwabueze said beyond advocating vaccine uptake, non-pharmaceutical interventions should be strictly enforced, considering the low number of vaccinated people in the state.
As more and more people have been vaccinated, the remaining people who have not been vaccinated will be at risk. The government should advocate more proactive vaccination. In addition to basic protective measures, vaccination against COVID-19 infection Is the best way.